Achoo!
by Scarlet Tabby
Summary: Two important people get sick and Jack Bristow is left to make everything better. J/I slight AU fluff


Author's Note: Response to a tumblr prompt asking for a J/I sick!fic. Slightly AU where Irina is free and has a good relationship with Jack while he's still at SD-6. I hope you like it!

**Achoo!**

Arvin Sloane violently blew his nose and coughed before falling back into bed. He reached over to find the phone with a pained groan. He dialed the phone and held it to his ear limply. When the other end was answered, he spoke in a groggy voice. "Jack, it's Arvin. I won't be in today."

"Are you alright?" Jack asked, trying his best to make his voice sound as if he cared.

"Just the flu, I think. I'll be fine. You'll take charge for the day?" he asked.

"Of course." Jack glanced around the office, noting that nothing seemed too pressing. Should be a relatively easy day.

"Thank you, my friend. Oh, and can you check on that artifact in the lab? It was supposed to go into analysis yesterday, but I didn't have a chance to look in on the progress."

"Consider it done," Jack replied.

They each hung up the phone, and Jack went down the hall to the analyst lab. One of the many Rambaldi artifacts that Sydney had brought back from various missions was under testing. More Rambaldi. It was always Rambaldi for both Sloane and Irina. Would their obsessions never end?

One of the analysts greeted Jack as he entered. "Good morning, Agent Bristow. How are you today, sir?"

"Fine, thank you. Sloane is out sick today, and he asked me to check on the progress with the new Rambaldi artifact. What is it this time?"

The analyst replied, "It's a machine of some kind. Many intricate moving parts but with no readily observable power source. It should be a very interesting task for us once we get our hands on it."

"Once you get your hands on it? Where is it now?" Jack asked, red flags going off in his mind.

"Agent Sydney Bristow brought in the machine two days ago, but we didn't get to it before it was taken for preliminary assessments by your liaison to Langley."

"My liaison to Langley?" Jack parroted.

"Yes, sir. She said it was cleared by you personally."

Jack clenched his fists. "Did this woman happen to be tall and thin with tan skin and brown eyes and long brunette hair?"

"Yes, of course. Did our department make a mistake?"

"In the future, it would behoove you to check a person's credentials before you release anything classified," he suggested gruffly, turning and exiting the lab.

As if right on time, Jack's cell phone rang again. He knew exactly who it was, despite the blocked number. "Where did you take it?" he hissed.

Instead of an answer, a loud sneeze echoed into the phone.

Jack frowned. "Hello?"

A sad, raspy voice answered, "I need your help."

He stepped out of the office and allowed himself to grin. "Am I hearing this correctly? You need help?"  
"Oh shut up. I'm deathly ill. I want you to come take care of me."

"Well it looks like we have terms for an arrangement."

"Oh?"

"I have something you want—my nursing skills—and you have something I want."

"Come to my hotel room and we'll discuss the details."

"Fine. Where are you?"  
"Chateau Marmont."

"Why on earth would you be staying there?"

"Because I have a large sum of cash and it needs to be spent somewhere. I'm in the west penthouse."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"I'm not that far from you," she argued.

"Clearly you've forgotten LA traffic in the twenty years you've been away."

She sighed. "I'll see you when you get here."

After briefly letting Dixon know that he would be out most of the day, Jack drove to Hollywood to see his wife. True to his word, he left his car with the valet exactly twenty minutes after he had gotten off the phone.

He knocked on the door to the west penthouse and was surprised by what opened the door. Irina had wrapped herself in one of the hotel's blankets. Her usually perfect hair was sticking out in all places from tossing and turning in bed all day. The color was drained from her cheeks and concentrated in her bright red, irritated nose. Her bright brown eyes were tired and sad. He held out his arms and she fell into them.

Still holding her close, he walked into the room and closed the door behind them. There were crumpled tissues all over the floor. The bed looked like it had been hit by a hurricane. Clearly Irina had been sick for some time.

"How are you feeling, honey?" he asked softly.

"Miserable," she replied, her voice muffled as she pressed her face into his chest.

They made their way over to the bed and sat down. Jack gently rubbed her back and shoulders. Irina sneezed into his jacket.

"Gee, thanks."

"I'm sorry." She turned and rolled her body onto the bed away from him.

"That's it? You're just sorry?"

"Yes, Jack. I don't feel well enough to have witty comebacks today."

He shrugged. "No one's loss."

She kicked her foot in his general direction. "I said no witty comebacks!"

"Just because you can't give them doesn't mean that I'm lacking a supply."

Irina sneezed again. Jack kicked off his shoes and removed his now germ-infested jacket and joined her on the bed. "What seems to be the problem, honey?" he asked kindly.

"I'm sick! I can't stop sneezing. I have chills. I'm exhausted. I think I have the flu."

"I wouldn't be surprised. That'll teach you to steal."

"Excuse me?"

"Sloane is out today with the same thing. He examined that Rambaldi artifact as soon as Sydney brought it in. I bet he sneezed on it the other day, and in your eagerness to add to your own Rambaldi collection, you caught whatever he has."

She groaned. "As if this wasn't bad enough, I got it from Sloane? Now I _really_ feel sick."

Jack chuckled and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Don't touch me, you'll get sick too."

"I'll take my chances, honey. If I do get sick, I can pretend Sloane gave it to me and then you can come take care of me. How does that sound?"

"I suppose that's fair. Besides, I want nothing more than to lie in your arms all day," Irina admitted.

"Funny, that was my plan, too."

"I thought you wanted the artifact?"

"What do I care about Rambaldi? I do need to get it back to the lab today before Sloane finds it missing or else our cover will be blown, but you can do what you want with it, as far as I'm concerned."

"That's fine. You can take it back with you later. I don't really want it either."

"Why not?"

She smirked. "I only took it to get your attention. And it worked."

"You know me so well."

"Yes I do."

Jack leaned in to kiss her again, this time on her forehead. She snuggled into his embrace, and he stroked her hair until she fell asleep. As soon as he knew he wouldn't wake her up, Jack got up. He put his jacket and shoes back on and wrote a quick note with the hotel stationary. He found the artifact in the closet and took it with him when he left.

When Irina woke up a while later, she found a note on the pillow beside her. It simply read, "Forever and a day. –Jack" She placed a kiss on it and rolled over to go back to sleep. She had known he wouldn't stay. He never did, but neither did she. Next time they met, she would be sure to thank him for being with her and loving her when she needed it most.


End file.
